V&A
Bright Red Silk Plush Wide-Brimmed Hat
1970s · 1970s · British
Designer
Herbert Johnson
Production
artisan-craft
Material
silk plush
Culture
British
Movement
Glam Rock · Hippie / Counterculture
Influences
Victorian wide-brimmed hat · theatrical costume millinery
A striking red men's hat featuring a structured crown with moderate height and a wide, flat brim that extends approximately 3-4 inches from the crown. The entire hat is covered in luxurious silk plush fabric that creates a rich, velvety texture with subtle variations in the red tone. A matching red grosgrain ribbon band encircles the crown base, finished with a simple bow detail at the front. The construction shows precise blocking and shaping typical of quality millinery work. The wide brim and bold color reflect the theatrical, gender-bending aesthetic of early 1970s glam rock fashion, when men's accessories became increasingly flamboyant and expressive.
hat
Connected To
Movement·Hippie / Counterculture
LINEAGE10 years · cross-culture→ directed
Lineage: “theatrical costume millinery”
These two hats capture the 1970s split between earthy authenticity and theatrical rebellion, both born from the same countercultural impulse to reject conventional millinery. The straw hat's simple tie and natural weave speaks to the back-to-the-land movement's romance with craft, while the red velvet's saturated color and structured crown channels the decade's fascination with Victorian costume drama and gender-bending performance.
Echoes Across Time
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